Process of consuming smoke.



No, 663,ll9. Patented Dec. 4, I900. F. A. CURTIS.

PROCESS OF CUNSUMING SMOKE.

(Application ma Feb. 26. 1900,)

2 Sheets$heet (No Model.)

IN VENT 0R:

WITNESSES. V Q fim a ggwla A UurizLs;

ATTORNEY.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERIC A. CURTIS, 'OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF TI-IREE-FOURTHS TO WILLIAM J. LITTLE, OF SAME PLACE, FRANK J. LEY, OF GAS CITY, AND THOMAS K. CLARK' AND LEWIS N. COOK, OF MARION, INDIANA.

PROCESS OF CONSUIVIING SMOKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,119, dated December 4, 1900.

Application filed February 26, 1900. Serial No. 6,441. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: abandoned. My process diifers from such in Be it known that I, FREDERIO A. CURTIS, that I employ neither a steamjet nor a jet of a citizen of the United States, residing at Ancompressed air, which in most cases would be derson, in the county of Madison and State of impracticable, especially in starting fires in 5 Indiana, have invented a certain new and the furnaces, and I elfecta more perfect mixuseful Process of Consuming Smoke; and I ing of the unconsumed smoke and gases with do declare the following to be a full, clear, and the oil and air at a moderate temperature by exact description of the invention, such as will simple mechanical operations which may be enable others skilled in the art to which it apcarried on by manual force when there may :0 pertains to make and use the same, reference be no available mechanical power.

being had to the accompanying drawings, and Referring to the drawings, which illustrate to the letters of reference marked thereon, such means and appliances which maybe emwhich form a part of this specification. ployed in practically carrying out my inven- This invention relates to the process of utiltion, Figure 1 represents a front elevation of 15 izing the combustible elements in smoke that a common type of steam-boiler and its setting is thrown off from furnaces in which there is and furnace, but embodying improvements imperfect combustion of coal by which smoke whereby my process may be adapted to a sinand oil together are utilized for generating gle boiler and furnace; Fig. 2, a side elevaheat. v tion with parts broken away and parts shown 20 The objects of the invention are to attain in vertical section approximately on a line h the greatest economy in the use of coal asa in Fig. 1; Fig.- 3, a horizontal sectional view fuel and to economically abate the smoke taken approximately on a line a 0, in Fig. 1; nuisance caused byimperfectcombustion due Fig. 4, a horizontal sectional-view taken as to various causes, such as improperly-conon a line b b in Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a transverse 25 structed furnaces, imperfect draft devices, or sectional view of the atomizer, and Fig. 6 a

unskilful handling of the coal. vertical transverse sectional view taken as on The invention consists in a new and novel a line (1 d in Fig. 2. l process of drawing the smoke and uncon- My process may be employed either in consumed gases of combustion through continunection with a single boiler or with any or 0 one ducts from the furnace to a smoke box or each two of a battery of boilers. For the purreceptacle, mixing atomized oil and air with poses of this description a single boiler is the smoke and gases, and'then forcing the shown.

product through a duct to a separate furnace, A designates the setting embracing the in which it is consumed and utilized as heat walls, furnace, &c., of common form; B, the

5 and, if desired, under the same boiler which boiler of the cylindrical type, having tubes is served by the furnace in which the coal is for the passage of heat and smoke through consumed. I the water-space of the boiler; C C, the fur- In carrying out my invention practically I nace, which is divided by a wall or partition may make use of various means, such as va- F longitudinally, the wall extending to the 40 riously-shaped walls, pipes, dampers, fans, bottom of the ash-pit, preferably, so as to conatomizers, duo. stitute two separate furnaces, the furnace C 9c Hitherto the perfect combustion of bitnhaving grates e and the adjacent furnace also minous coal in boiler-furnaces has been acpreferably having grates. The wall F exoomplished only by employing various expentends back over the bridge-wall B and up to 45 sive or troublesome devices, in most cases rethe boiler and also divides the return-flue at quiringa separate steam-boiler for supplying the rear end of the boiler, so as to provide an injector or similar spraying nozzle device, separate chambers D and D, corresponding with the result that such apparatu's,after havto the double furnaces, which causes the heat ing been tried, for obvious reasons have been and gases from one furnace or from one side is open to a chamber E communicating with the chimney. of chimney having a large diameter I insert In utilizing the common type a damper, so as to reduce the strength of the draft, it being only necessary in my process to provide a vent for disposing of the fumes from combustion and the air from a fan'or blower, so that in new plants a high chimney is unnecessary.

From the smoke-box E a duct H leads to an exhausting-blower .I, to which is connected a duct H, leading to the furnace C. An open branch J is connected to the duct H,- into which oil is fed through a pipe M from i a tank N, and interposed in the branch J or at any other suitable point is an atomizer L, which may comprise either stationary or movable plates interposed in the path of the oil. Also the oil may be taken either directly into the fan or blower or into the duct H, as may be desired, provided that it shall be atomized and thoroughly mixed with the smoke and gases that are drawn from the coal-consuming furnace and forced into the gas-burnings furnace.

With the oil also a suitable amount of atmospheric air is admitted and conveyed E to the gas-burning furnace O.

In atomizing the oil, which is preferably crude petroleum or the residuum therefrom, the most perfect results are attained in the use of the mechanical atomizer L, through which the smoke, the oil, and the air (in order to obtain oxygen) are drawn in whirling or cross currents, so that the oil may be not only thoroughly broken up, but perfectly mixedwith the-smoky gases, all of which are not sufficiently heated as to cause deposits in the ducts, which would be detrimental in restricting the passages and causing friction, as in the case when the smoke and oil are delivered through passages at high temperatures. My experiments haveled to the discovery that the smoke may be practically ail consumed after having been cooled somewhat in passing through the first boiler and the ducts and then with the oil reheated to the combustionpoint in the second furnace.

In operation a coal-fire is kindled in the first or coal-burning furnace C, and the exhausting-blower being putin operation the "smoke and unconsumed gases are drawn from the furnace, cooling somewhat in the passages,

through the flue D, the boiler-tubes communicating with the flue D, and through the smoke-box E into the duct H and thence into the exhaust-blower, by which the product comprising the gaseous fuel is forced through the duct H into the second of the required pair of furnaces C, where complete combustion takes place, or the gaseous fuel may be conducted to a more remotely situated furnace for consumption, in which case both the first and second furnaces and boilers may be of the ordinary type, provided only that the first or coal-burning furnace shall have com munication with a duct, as H, in lieu of the chimney. In the passage of the gases and smoke from the coal-fire through the ducts I cause oil, preferably crude petroleum, to be atomized in whirling or crossing currents by baffieplates at low temperature, and mixed therewith in order to render the product combustible at practicable temperatures, as the unburned gases and smoke could not otherwise be consumed except in a degree of heat hitherto found to be inconvenient under existing conditions. In thus atomizing oil in a current of otherwise (under ordinary conditions) incombustible refuse from a furnace a new and economical compound of gaseous elements is produced which may be completely consumed in a common type of furnace, thereby utilizing every possible heat unit in the fuel. It is well known that valuable properties in smoke have hitherto been wasted, as well as a nuisance maintained through the emission of smoke and soot from furnace-chimneys in residence districts, and my invention is therefore of the highest degree of utility.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The process of consuming smoke as fuel, consisting in drawing smoke from a furnace, then atomizing oil at its normal temperature in whirling or crossing currents and simultaneously reducing the temperature of the smoke and mixing the same with the atomized oil, then forcing the resultant mixture at low temperature into a furnace, and then igniting the oil elements of the mixture whereby the smoke may be consumed.

2. The process of consuming smoke and unburned gases of imperfect combustion, consisting in drawing off the smoke and gases from a coal-burning furnace through the heating-channels, then breaking up or atomizing oil and mixing the same and atmospheric air at their normal temperatures with the smoke in whirling or crossing currents, then causing these elements to be further mixed, then forcing the resultant mixture into a furnace.

IIS

then atomizing or breaking up oil at its noring the smoke and other elements of the mixmal temperature in whirling 0r crossing curture. 1o rents and simultaneously mixing the same In testimony whereof I aflix my signature with the smoke and also with atmospheric air in presence of two witnesses.

at its normal temperature, thenforcing the FREDERIO A. CURTIS. mixture into a furnace, and then raising the WVitnesses: temperature of the smoke by igniting the oily WM. O. THOMPSON,

elements of the mixture and thereby consum- E. T. SILVIUS. 

